


The Familiar and the Unknown

by Billie_Be_Lurkin



Series: Partners for Life [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 12:58:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17264657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Billie_Be_Lurkin/pseuds/Billie_Be_Lurkin
Summary: A batch of short, standalone fics starring Sadie Adler and my original character Zorah West.





	1. Standoff

**Author's Note:**

> Most of these fics were written before the actual game was released. As soon as those character sheets were released, I couldn't help myself.
> 
> If you clicked on this you already know who Sadie "She's Terrifying" Adler is. Zorah West is a Black female original character of my own creation. I intended on keeping these fics close to my chest, but after reading them, my friends encouraged me to share them. I hope you enjoy them, and have a happy new year.

The Standoff

 

Sadie Adler had just pulled on her left boot when Tilly Jackson came running into her tent. "She's back! She just got off her horse and is headed straight for Dutch's tent. And, Sadie, she's got the look of the devil himself."

Sadie didn't need to know what was going on. She took one look at the situation and quickly picked a side.

  
A smartly dressed, dark skinned Black woman wearing a black gambler's hat had a shining silver revolver, with its hammer cocked back, pointed directly at Dutch's face. Bill Williamson stood off to her side with his own gun aimed at her head. Dutch himself was unarmed, his hands raised in front of him, palms out. He looked the most calm out of anyone else in the tent despite not having a weapon of his own drawn.

The situation was clear and without a word, Sadie promptly aimed her own six-shooter at Bill.

It was a stand-off between the three of them and one unarmed gang leader.

  
The woman who had Dutch van der Linde held up at gunpoint in his own goddamn tent behind his own goddamn desk was none other than merciless gun for hire, free woman, and Sadie Adler's partner: Zorah West.

  
Zorah didn't glance away from the man in front of her when she heard the hammer of a third gun being readied. She knew by sheer instinct who had joined them. And too furious to care about the high possibility of meeting her maker lest she make any rash decisions, she started her interrogation. "You wanna explain to me why you left me high and dry, surrounded by the sheriff's fucking lackeys? When my position was perfectly concealed and the only other person who knew where I was was you, you foul, double-crossing sonuvabitch?"

  
"Now, Zorah," Dutch began, hand still up and placating. "I surely do not what you are talking about. I was under the impression that you intended on quietly slipping away and then tailing us back to camp. If you mean to imply that I somehow let slip where you were... Well, I'm offended," he ended with a small smirk.

  
Sadie and Bill shifted where they stood, glancing between Zorah and Dutch, respectively, but neither lowered their gun.

  
Zorah snarled and the barrel of her gun into Dutch's forehead. "You set me up!"

  
Bill jumped at her shout. Sweat was starting to accumulate on his forehead and soak through his shirt. Sadie was trying to keep her cool, but the tension was starting to get to her as well.

  
"Sometimes local law enforcement gets lucky. Just because some hapless deputy managed to stumble upon your hiding spot, doesn't mean I set you up. I don't know what else to tell you." Dutch was acting infuriatingly confident in this situation and it was getting to Zorah.

  
"How about I tell you something then, Dutch? Arthur's dead." Immediately, something changed in Dutch's eyes and the smirk underneath his dark mustache dropped. Zorah narrowed hers in response. "I killed him myself."

  
"And why would you go and do a thing like that," Dutch asked, his voice finally losing its charming lilt.

  
"Because he gave me no other choice."

  
"Well, I'm sure I don't know why he would ever turn on one of his own. Especially in a situation that would require teamwork to get out of."

  
"Yeah, I'm sure you don't, Dutch. But I figure Arthur can apologize from beyond the grave by passing his belongings onto me. I want his tent, his trunk, and his fucking horse. All of it, including his share of the take and half again what you owe me."

  
Bill was absolutely apoplectic at the suggestion. "What? West, you've gone and lost your goddamn mind!"

  
"Shut the fuck up, Bill." Sadie said, poking Bill in the head with her six-shooter and reminding him that she was still present as well.

  
"It's okay, Bill. Relax," Dutch commanded. "Zorah, you can have whatever you want. This has all just been an unfortunate misunderstanding. I mean, without you the heist wouldn't have gone off without a hitch like it did. Here," Dutch moved to lean down.

  
Zorah lunged forward. "Not so fast, Dutch! Don't try anything funny! Offhand only."

  
"Okay, okay." Ever so calm and collected, Dutch kept his dominant hand up while he awkwardly groped below his desk and opened the small safe where he kept the gang's funds. He pulled out two full cloth bags. "Here's your share and Arthur's, and his paraphernalia is yours to do with as you please. You got two other witnesses here who can attest to me saying so. Bill, Sadie? Y'all got that?"

  
Bill and Sadie hesistantly nodded, guns still up, but clearly much more relaxed now.

  
Zorah uncocked her gun and slowly lowered it. Finally, she looked over at Bill and then Sadie behind him, and back at Dutch. She nodded and holstered her weapon. She fingered open the two bags and took a quick look inside them.

  
She took several stacks of cash out of each bag and set them on Dutch's desk. She pointed at one bag that was still fairly full and said, "I want this bag to go to Tilly." Then she pointed at the other, "And I want this one to go to Lenny. You got that?"

  
Dutch looked confused, but didn't argue. Bill, however still hadn't lowered his gun, and as such, neither had Sadie.

  
After Zorah had grabbed the stacks of bills she had separated out for herself, she turned to Bill and said, "Williamson, if you don't get that gun out of my face, I will gut you alive and leave you out to be picked at by all manner of creatures. And I will enjoy the show."

  
"Aw, hell, Bill. Read the room and put your weapon away. We all know Zorah's faster than your trigger finger is anyways. Come on, now." Dutch said, exasperation seeping into his voice.

  
Bill acquiesced and exhaled loudly. Sadie followed suit with a shaky sigh of her own. Zorah made sure to look back and tip her head at Sadie, silently thanking her for the back up.

  
Zorah looked back at Dutch and with a single nod of her head said, "Dutch."

  
Dutch tipped his head at Zorah. "Zorah."

  
With that, Zorah turned, glaring at Bill, and started walking checking his shoulder as she went. "Come on," she said to Sadie as she left the tent.  
"Gentlemen," Sadie said in parting before dutifully following after Zorah.

 

The two of them walked through the camp in relative silence. Around them, members of their gang were either going about their lives-- not aware of the war that had just been about to break out-- or staring as they passed by. Regardless, they were still acknowledged and a lot of folks even happily welcomed Zorah home. Zorah kindly nodded at anyone who greeted her, but didn't slow down.

  
Sadie kept pace with her, but noticed, too, as they walked, that Zorah had acquired a limp that she was trying to hide. Now that they were out in the full light of day, Sadie could also see the dirt, sweat and blood that caked the back of Zorah's shirt and slithered up her neck. One of the spurs on her boots had broken off as well.

  
Just as Sadie was about to ask what the hell had actually happened, Zorah disappeared through the flap of a tent. It was the gang's bathing area. A simple tent had been erected around it for privacy. Inside was a modest cowboy bathtub, a few soaps to choose from, some clean towels and washcloths, a rack and a chair besides.

  
Zorah hung her hat on the rack and then started to strip. Finally in a private space away from Dutch and the majority of the gang, she allowed herself to voice her discomfort by moaning and groaning as she went.

  
Sadie left and came back with two buckets of clean water. She had to make a couple more trips before the tub was full enough to comfortably bathe in. Even though the sun was still up and finding it's way through the cloth of the tent, she lit a lantern and hung it from the highest point of it. The extra lighting would help her to see as the sun began to wane.

  
Zorah was a mess. Her lip was split and swollen, blood long dried. She had a huge black eye that was threatening to get even worse. A steady stream of blood still leaked out of a small gash on the side of her head. Bruises and cuts littered the rest of her body. Some nicks were destined to leave scars next to the old ones she had accumulated over her life.

  
Sadie had Zorah sit down in the tub. Zorah shivered and swore as she eased into the ice cold water. Sadie grabbed a washcloth and went to work. She was careful and as gentle as she could be, even though gentleness had never been her forte.

  
Lovingly, she scrubbed away the grime on Zorah's back until her dark brown skin regained its familiar luster. She took Zorah's moans and hums for the thank yous that they were and kept at it.

  
Sadie reached Zorah's shoulders and dipped down to her chest. Zorah's hand reached up and gently settled on her wrist, stopping her.  
"Thank you. For supporting me back in there. And for this," Zorah said in a soft, low voice.

  
Sadie leaned forward a bit and held Zorah in a one-armed hug. She laid a kiss on her shoulder then on the crook of her neck. "I will always have your back. No matter the situation. No questions asked. As for this... Well. You're my girl and you need taking care of. Why, how many times have you had to patch me up?" She chuckled.

  
"A lot," Zorah laughed in response.

  
Glad to have gotten a laugh, however small, out of Zorah, Sadie continued, "That's right. 'Bout time we switched places for once. And anyways, I can't lie: it's kinda nice being the one to do the taking care of for once."

  
"Mm. You take care of me plenty in other ways," Zorah replied. She looked up at Said and planted a kiss on her jaw. Sadie responded by tipping Zorah's chin up and kiss her full-on and earnestly.

  
Zorah pulled away first with a hiss. "Ow. Be gentle with me. I got a messed up lip here."

  
Sadie playfully swatted at her with the washcloth. "Oh, hush! It ain't that bad. You'll live." Sadie kissed Zorah on her forehead and the two of them rested their foreheads together, murmuring to one another.

  
They were both tired and the sun was going down. "Come on. Let me finish cleaning you up now. We're losing daylight," Sadie said, a sigh escaping through her lips.

  
"Alright. Go on then."

  
By the time she was done, Zorah was half asleep and didn't want to get up out of the tub, but she had been partially restored to her old self.

 

Clean, bandaged and fed, Zorah lay curled up with her head on Sadie's chest in their tent. A lantern had been dimmed and for the most part the camp around them had gone quiet as everyone settled in for the night. She was ready for sleep, as well, but knew Sadie wanted answers. The two of them hadn't talked very much while Sadie had worked on putting her back togheter. Zorah swore she was the only person in the world who Sadie Adler would ever wait on.  
"You ain't gonna get no sleep till you ask me whatever else it is that you need to ask, so go on, darlin'. Ask away," Zorah softly commanded.

  
Sadie didn't waste any time. "Well. What does this all mean? You and Dutch gonna have any more issues?"

  
Zorah grunted and shifted a bit so she could look Sadie in the eye. "I hope not, but Dutch is obviously scared of me. He's scared of what I can accomplish. Scared because he knows I know what he tried to do, and I've just put him on notice that I'm watching him. If he tries that yellow-bellied rat brained horseshit again, he'll have hell to pay. He needs to learn that so long as he does right by me, we won't have any problems. That's all."

  
Sadie huffed. "But where did that even come from? And you're just gonna let it slide that he tried to have you killed? I'm supposed to just go on pretending that he didn't try to do what he very obviously tried to do? You ain't gonna try and get back at him?"

  
"Mm. I plan on keeping my eye on him. Escalating things now while the gang is doing so well is foolishness as far as I see it. And besides, I need to poll that crew and see who's siding with who before I ever try to make a move."

  
"And what if he wants to get you back on his good side?"

  
"Dutch van der Linde is a charming bastard of a man, but I've had my fair share of dealings with devious white men who think they can get the best of me. Dutch will never be able to fully regain my trust, but he can certainly try."

  
"Well, we better figure out how we want to play this, and soon. Dutch has never been one to not have a backup plan."

  
Zorah leaned into Sadie. "Frankly, Miss Adler, my only plan right now is to kiss you till we're both lightheaded, and fall asleep in your loyal and loving arms."  
"Miss West, that sounds like a plan I can go along with," Sadie chuckled, snuggling into her loose embrace.

  
"I'm mighty glad to hear that," Zorah replied with a smile. "Mighty glad."

 


	2. A Visit from an Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend comes knocking on Zorah and Sadie's door.

A Visit from an Old Friend

A man got off of his horse and set down right in front of the stairs of a porch. The cabin it was led up to was L-shaped and modest. A wooden fence ram around a tight perimeter from the house to a very small barn that sat out back. All were situated on a fine piece of land that seemed to stretch on for miles before reaching a wall of what looked like an impenetrable forest.

  
Navigating rocky, mountenous terrain, bad weather and dangerous wildlife, it had taken him quite a lot of effort to reach this little slice of heaven. No person would make the trek needed to visit unless they had a strong need to.

  
The man made sure to hitch his horse before stepping onto the porch. His worn boots softly thudded up the steps and to the door. He knocked. Out of respect he took his hat off and held it to his chest as he waited patiently.

  
He couldn't hear any noises coming from inside. Not the sound of dishes clanking, people talking, or footsteps headed to the door. He looked around. Someone had to be home. There was at least one horse in the barn enclosure out back. He decided to knock again. Three quick raps on the door. He continued to wait patiently and listen.

  
After a few minutes longer, he decided to give up and maybe search around the property. He put his hat back on, and just as he turned around and started walking across the porch, the front door suddenly slammed opened. The man turned around and was half way through verbalizing his grief when he was greeted with the barrel of a shotgun instead of a friendly face.

  
Calmly, he put his hands up in front of him and looked the barrel at the woman holding it with an air of shocking familiarity. She wore a loose blouse and trousers. Her black hair had bloomed from the close cropped style he had grown to associate her with into a tightly curled halo. It suited her.

  
"John Marston. What are you doing here? Did Dutch send you?" the woman asked.

  
"Zorah West. You look well. Mountain air seems to be doing you some good."

  
"Shut up, and answer the question before I blast your face off."

  
"Straight to the point then, alright. Dutch didn't send me. In fact, I was hoping you could tell me where he is."

  
Zorah narrowed her dark brown eyes as she examined the man in front of her. He was calm and unarmed. A little dusty from the trip here. But his overrall countenance was unthreatening. She looked beyond him at his horse. His sidearm and belt had casually been laid on the saddle, as if it had been made visible on purpose.

  
"Back up,"she commanded. John obeyed and slowly backed up. Zorah followed him until she could see around the corner of the cabin. Nothing for acres except the ever imposing forest. There was the possibility of there being snipers in the trees, but the odds of any of them hitting their target were below poor.

  
Zorah stepped back towards the door, shotgun still up. "You wanna know where Dutch is?"

  
John nodded. "Yes, I do."

  
Zorah shook her head in disbelief and rephrased her question. "You really came all this way just to ask where Dutch van der Linde is?"

  
"Yes, ma'am, I did."

  
Zorah thought it over for a moment. She looked at the John Marston in front of her and compared him to the man she once knew. He had changed — a lot had changed for all of them — but a lot still remained the same. She uncocked the gun and pointed it down away from him. "I don't know where Dutch is. Hopefully nowhere near here. Preferably in an unmarked grave somewhere. Haven't heard anything about anyone since we all split up. I'm sorry."

  
John put his hands on his hips and shook his head. He knew it had been a long shot. "Well, can't blame me for trying. It was good seeing you, Zorah. Thanks for not shooting me." He turned to walk down the steps again.

  
Zorah watched John put his holster and belt back on, unhitch and ready his horse with a sympathetic look on her face. "Well, hold on, now. You come all this way just for one question and now you're gonna just leave?"

  
John stopped what he was doing long enough to answer her. "That was the plan, yes."

  
Zorah tipped her chin towards the horizon. "Storm's rolling back in and it'll be here before you're even halfway down that mountain. Won't be safe. Why don't you stay? We can get some food in you and you can leave in the morn."

  
John looked out at the horizon and weighed his options. "I wouldn't want to impose."

  
"John Marston, I just nearly ended your godforsaken life just for asking a question. You ain't imposing. Bring your horse 'round back and we'll get it situated in the barn." Zorah took the shotgun and set it inside beside the door and closed it behind her. "Come on," she insisted, urging John to follow along with his horse.

 

"Y'all built all this?" John asked after they'd gone inside. The cabin was homely. Zorah had had him sit down at her table in the kitchen that doubled as a dining room, and had offered to rustle up some coffee for him.

  
Most of the kitchen equipment had been hung up to conserve space. It was clean and organized, but that hadn't surprised him. A cutting board with half-chopped vegetables rested on the counter. Expertly cut cubes of meat lay on another board right next to it. A large black pot full of water sat in the sink waiting for ingredients to be added to it.

  
Zorah had been in the middle of getting dinner ready when he had arrived.

  
"Yeah. Sadie and I did. Took a year, or thereabouts? Used the money we had saved up for it. After we got the cabin up, we had some help with the barn and fencing. We've been adding things here and there as we go. Just put in that little garden this spring." Zorah talked as she worked on bringing the woodstove back to life so she could make some coffee and get the stew cooking.  
"Where is Sadie, anyways?"

  
"Hunting. It was her turn. Left this morning, but she should be back before dark. Those woods out there are crawling with deer."

  
"Sounds nice."

  
"It is. Nobody really bothers us out here. There's a small group of folks nearby. We help each other out every once in a while. They're good people. Aside from them though, it's just me and Sadie."

  
Zorah went back over to the counter. She threw the vegetables and meat into the pot. She added a healthy dose of seasonings before putting the whole thing on the stove and placing a lid over it. She wiped her hands on a stray towel and then brought over that hot cup of coffee she'd promised John. He thanked her as she sat down across from him with her own.

  
"Y'all are so far out from anything. How do you make a living? How do y'all get your foodstuffs and whatnot that you can't just grow or hunt? Like salt and medicine." John asked.

  
Zorah blew on her coffee and then took a sip. "Well, there's a town we make a trip to about once or twice a month to buy what we need, but hunting's how we make some money. And I've been enjoying experimenting with smoking meat. So, there's a trading post we go to that ain't as far as the town is. You probably passed right by it. The folks there pay a lot for good, salted meats and furs. And you know Sadie. That woman can skin anything, so we make due."

  
"And that's counting you, too, if you try anything, John Marston," Sadie said, entering the room with her sidearm drawn. Her eyes flickered from John to Zorah and the back at John. "You alright, darlin'?"

  
John sat sideways on the kitchen bench and made sure his hands were visible. He had the look of a man who was tired of having guns pointed at him.

  
"I'm just fine. No need to bring the gun out. I already greeted John here with the business end of the shotgun. He's harmless. Just wanted to know if we knew where Dutch is," Zorah explained.

  
Sadie holstered her gun and walked over. "Dutch?" she asked before planting a kiss on Zorah's cheek. "How you doing, sweetheart?"

  
"I'm alright. Got some venison stew on the stove."

  
"Mm. That sounds good." Sadie looked over at John, one hand on her hip, and continued questioning him. "So. You really came all the way out here just to ask us about Dutch?"

  
"Yup. Figured I'd try. Y'all were second on my list," John replied. He took another swig of his coffee, draining the cup.

  
Sadie clicked her tongue in disbelief. She took off her overcoat, went over and hung it up on the rack by the door along with her cowboy hat. "Well, who was the first on your list?

  
"I was wondering that myself," Zorah added. She got up from the bench. "You want some coffee, too, Sadie? Probably have a few drops left."

  
"'Preciate it," Sadie replied.

  
"Arthur Morgan," John cut in.

  
Sadie smirked and shook her head. Zorah finished pouring her cup of coffee and handed it to her. Sadie murmured a quiet 'thank you.' Zorah leaned against the counter and looked at John. "So, then, what'd Arthur have to say? Couldn't have been a lot if you had to come to us."

  
"He didn't say anything. He's dead."

  
The a shocked looked cross both women's faces, but Sadie reacted first. "He's dead? How?"

  
John shook his head. "I dunno. Didn't bother to try and find out. Didn't have the time to."

  
Silence settled over them as they paused to process the news in full.

  
"May he rest in peace," Zorah finally said. "He was as good as a wanted man on the run from the law could be." Sadie and John mumbled in agreement.

 

Sadie dragged John out to help dress down the deer she had brought home. They salted some of the meat and hung up the rest to dry in a special storage room attached to the cabin. By the time they had finished and cleaned up, the stew was ready to serve and Zorah had the woodstove burning hot to offset the chill that had risen as the sun set.

  
The three of them sat at the table, enjoying the venison stew. Sadie sat on the bench by Zorah's side as she recounted the events of her hunt to John. Zorah had finished her bowl and was half listening to Sadie-- for the most part it was the same story Sadie always ended up coming home with. But John was so engrossed in her tale, Zorah had to remind him to finish up his stew before it grew cold.

  
She watched John as he talked with Sadie. He was much more relaxed now after having been fairly tense all day, even after Zorah had decided not to shoot him. But there was something about his eyes that she couldn't quite put her finger on. A hard sadness about them that never went away even when he laughed at Sadie's commentary.

  
Zorah stared at John in silence, processing her thoughts. Sadie finished her tale and asked Zorah for her input, but received nothing but silence. "Zorah?"

Sadie asked. She followed Zorah's serious gaze at John, who was staring back at Zorah with equal intensity, and then back to Zorah again. She gently nudged Zorah. "Zorah?"

  
"Where're Abigail and Jack, John?" Zorah quietly asked, her eyes not leaving him.

  
John was silent for a few moments. He looked down at his hands on the table and briefly clenched them. He shook his head.

  
The previously light-hearted atmosphere grew dark. "John?" Sadie spoke up this time.

  
John looked up at the two of them, a pained scowl of pure hate on his face. He forced the words out of his mouth. "The Feds got them."

 

They left John on the couch in the living room in front of a crackling fireplace, and retired to their room. They lay together in the safety and warmth of their own bed in silence, processing everything John had told them. It took them a long while to fall asleep.

 

The next morning, Sadie and Zorah watched John ride away, back down the mountain. They had made sure that he was loaded up with enough supplies to get him to and even past the next town with ease. Their goodbyes hadn't been teary, but they had been riddled with an undercurrent of emotion. For the second time, they had had to say goodbye to a man they felt was family.

  
Zorah took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air she loved so much. She put her hands on her hips and looked ready to take on the day ahead. She glanced at Sadie who had her arms crossed and was still looking towards the trail as if she could still see John. Sadie hadn't bothered to braid her hair this morning and despite the serious look on her face — or maybe even because of it— Zorah couldn't help but think that she looked stunning.

  
Sadie's brows were knotted together and her lips formed a tight line. An unmistakable tell that she was thinking about doing something brash. Zorah shook her and willingly walked into the trap she knew was there. "What are you thinking?"

  
Sadie pursed her lips and glanced at Zorah. She tilted her head from side to side and put her hands on her hips. It was Zorah's turn to cross hers. "We should go."

  
"Go? Go where?"

  
"To Abigail and Jack."

  
Zorah stuck her hip out and lifted an incredulous eyebrow at Sadie, but Sadie was undeterred and insisted further. "They're family, Rah."

  
Zorah shook her head and walked back inside.

  
Sadie raised her arms and then flopped them back down to her sides and called inside. "Zorah? Where are you going?"

  
"To get my gun," Zorah's voice called back.

  
"What?"

  
Zorah walked back out with her holster on and her shotgun in hand. "Gonna need my gun if we're going to get Abigail and Jacky back."

  
A smile slowly took over Sadie's as she realized what Zorah had said. She shook her head and chuckled this time. She walked over to Zorah and kissed her deeply. She rested her hands on Zorah's hips, pulled back and smiled again.

  
"That's my girl."

 


	3. Love in the Wild West

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie and Zorah need a break.

  
Finding Love in the Wild West

 

The sun was high in the sky. Warm rays lit up the world and willed life to begin the day. They slipped through the branches and leaves of trees, spotlighting life on the forest floor. Birds chirped, squirrels chittered, and bugs buzzed. The forest was alive and thriving, and it was beautiful.

  
Two women rode into nature's territory on horseback. It had been Sadie's idea to go on this daytrip. She had planned it all and had only required Zorah to wake up early with her to get a headstart on the day. Even though she had been exhausted, Zorah had agreed to go.

  
Three days ago, the gang had successfully robbed a train that had been covertly transporting federal funds. Zorah had alerted Dutch about the transport in the first place and had subsequently been tasked with gathering all the info she could about it. Reconnaissance had been extensive with Zorah tailing it. She had been forced to travel damn near across the entire territory, recording every little detail along the way. The work had taken nearly a month, but it had all paid off in the end. And the gang had celebrated their victory every night since, but Sadie just wanted to be alone with her woman.

  
So she'd planned a trip. They packed up a few essentials and set off. Then fourty minutes into their trip, Sadie had stopped them and asked Zorah to put on a blindfold. Zorah had thought Sadie was joking until the blonde woman had pulled out a black bandana and held it out to her.

  
Zorah had chuckled and shook her head before asking Sadie if she was serious. "What's the matter, darlin? Don't you trust me?" Sadie had replied, a devilish smirk on her face. The subtle challenge had been enough to convince Zorah to humor her.

  
The two of them made light conversation for the rest of the trip as if nothing was out of the ordinary. They shared anecdotes about what they'd seen while they'd been split up. Zorah detailed a nightmare she'd had while tracking the government transport. The dead had risen and Arthur had been the first in their group to die a grisly death, rise back up, and attack them. Sadie questioned Zorah on her eating habits while she'd been away and then promised to tell that absurd dream to everyone in camp.

  
Zorah held on to the horn of her saddle and rocked her hips in rhythm with her horse. Despite being unable to see what was in front of her she was relaxed and had complete trust in her companion. That didn't stop a current of curiosity and excitement from running through her though.

  
"Sadie, where on earth are you taking me?" Zorah asked. They had been travelling for almost an hour now.

  
"You'll see," Sadie chuckled at her little joke. "We're almost there."

  
Moments later, Sadie brought them to a halt. Their horses stood side by side, so close that Sadie and Zorah's legs were just barely grazing each other.  
Zorah inhaled deeply. Sadie watched her as she tipped her head to the side, clearly trying to identify what exactly it was that she smelled. "I smell water." Zorah eventually proclaimed.

  
She couldn't see it, but Sadie shot a smile laden with fondness her way. "You're good. Anything else?"

  
"Well, I don't hear running water so we're not by a river. And I stopped getting whacked by branches several yards back. We're in the open now."

  
Sadie grinned. "Right on both points. Miss West, you are far too observant."

  
"Well, I wouldn't be a very good scout if I wasn't, Miss Adler." Zorah playfully responded.

  
"All right. You can take off the blindfold now. Go on now."

  
Zorah didn't bother untying the blindfold and instead just slid it down off her head to where it settled around her neck. She blinked a few times, willing her eyes to acclimate to the bright sunlight. When she was finally able to see, her jaw slackened and she found herself to be speechless.

  
A lake with the bluest water Zorah had ever seen lay in front of them with a stunning mountain range beyond it. Snow still coated the steep slopes and coupled with the blue of the water and green of the forest and grass around them, it was like something out of a famous painting. But that wasn't all. Next to the lake was a large white tent and a small, covered, horse-pulled wagon beside it. A fire pit sat between the campsite and the water with a small cauldron attached to a tripod situated over it. A grill that the cauldron could be swapped out for was placed next to both items.

  
Zorah got down from her horse and patted its dappled grey hide out of habit. Sadie set down on the ground and walked over to her. "Well? What do you think?"

  
Zorah shook her head in disbelief. "What do I think? I don't know what I think. I'm speechless, Sadie." She looked at the woman next to her and continued in a soft voice, "I think it's wonderful."

  
"Just wait til you get closer and see what's inside the tent. Oh, and the fishing rods that I brought too."  
Zorah's eyes widened. "Fishing rods?"

  
Sadie nodded. "You been saying you've been wanting to go fishing. We can do it together. Lake is full of fish," Sadie pointed at the pot hanging over the fire pit. "We can make some fish stew or fry something up." She started walking towards the campsite, leading her horse along behind her.

  
Zorah followed and the two of them hitched their horses to the stationary wagon. They gave them long leads so they could graze while Sadie showed Zorah what amenities she had packed away in the tent.

  
A heavy canvass covered the ground in the tent and Sadie had layered several thick blankets on top of it. A few feather stuffed pillows littered the bedding and a large grizzly fur blanket topped it all off. Sadie had packed a basket full of goodies: expensive bourbon, cheeses, bread, and salted meat. A bundle of an extra set of clothes for each of them sat in a small crate near the entrance of the tent. Two unlit laterns sat on a box in the corner waiting to be used. The wagon had more supplies for them just in case they needed anything like oil and flour for frying, spices, and the promised fishing rods Sadie had mentioned. She had thought of everything it seemed.

  
Horses still grazing, the occasional trout leaping out of the lake, and all the amenities they would need, it felt like paradise.

  
Zorah rested her arms on Sadies shoulders. "There's a lot here for just one day," she said with a knowing smirk.

  
Sadie rested her hands on Zorah's hips. "Well, maybe I lied about this just being a day-trip."

  
"Sadie Adler," Zorah began with a mocking gasp. "Known criminal and outlaw Sadie Adler is a liar too? I never would've thought!" She couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up.

  
"I know. I'm a real fiend."

  
"Mm... Well," Zorah looked back at the tent, thinking of the cozy bedding Sadie had put together. "I think I know a way you can make up for it."

 

Curled up in each other's arms they listened to the wilderness outside of their tent and the gentle snuffling of their horses going about their day. The sun was just beginning to make its descent, so they still had plenty of time to do as they pleased. They made love, ate some of the food Sadie had packed, and returned to bed. They had a much earned lazy day. When the sun had truly began to set, Zorah suggested that they do some night fishing.

  
They baited their hooks, rolled up the legs of their pants, and waded into the cool lake water. The campfire blazed behind them and the stars shone bright above them. The two women stood next to each other, quietly making plans for dinner.

  
"I think we should fry it. Haven't had fried fish in a long while," Zorah suggested.

  
"That's true, but I think we should grill it. It's getting late and, well, I'd like to get back in bed and finish what we started earlier," Sadie said with a smirk.

  
"Oh, I like that idea," Zorah said, letting out a hearty laugh.

  
"Well, that settles that then." Sadie was about to continue, but her bob disappeared and the line started jerking away from her. She shouted in surprised and started reeling her line in while Zorah abandoned hers and ran to get a net just in case. She returned just as Sadie hauled a brawny, angry trout out of the water. Hollering and laughing, they maneuvered the wriggling fish into the net and onto shore.

  
After Zorah killed it, Sadie began gutting it while she went to prep the grill over the fire. The fish yielded a hefty bit of meat to grill which Sadie expertly separated from fish's skeleton. She drowned the meat in seasonings and put it on the grill to cook. While they waited, they excitedly recounted the catch as if it hadn't just happened, and Sadie tended to it every once in a while. When it was done she divied up pieces between the two of them.

  
Zorah let out a pleased hummed after taking the first bite. "This is delicious," she tried to say with her mouth full, but it just came out garbled. Sadie laughed and nodded her head in agreement. After a successful dinner, they retired to their tent for the rest of the night.

 

The rest of their mini-vacation consisted of much of the same relaxing activities they had done on the first day. As they sat and watched the last beautiful sunset of their time away from the gang, Sadie cracked opened a bottle of expensive bourbon she had hidden away until their last night. "You have no idea how hard it was to find a place to hide this where none of those thieving bastards would find it."

  
Zorah laughed. "I bet," she said, taking a sip of the brown liquor. "Mm. Wow this is good. What's the occasion?" Zorah jokingly asked.

  
Sadie downed her share and poured herself some more. "Well," she said, sitting her glass on the ground next to the log they sat on. She turned and straddled the log so she could face Zorah and give her her full attention. She held out her hand, palm up, silently asking Zorah to place her hand on hers. Sadie put her other hand on Zorah's, sandwiching it between her hands. A questioning expression took over Zorah's face as she patiently waited for Sadie to continue.

  
Sadie took a deep breath. "I love you, Zorah West. I never thought that I would ever love anyone ever again. After my husband was killed, I thought that was it. I really thought that that was it. But then you showed up, and changed everything. You are truly a one-of-a-kind woman."

  
"Oh, Sadie," Zorah said in a quiet voice.

  
Sadie looked away from Zorah's glistening brown eyes and down at her brown hands instead. Methodically rubbing her thumb back and forth along the back of Zorah's hand. After a quiet moment, she looked back up at Zorah. "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

  
Sadie got off the log and knelt on one knee in front of Zorah. With one hand she reached into her pants' pocket and brought out a gold ring that shined in the fire-light near them. Sadie held the ring up between them. "Zorah West, will you marry me?"

  
Zorah opened her mouth to speak, but found she was speechless.

  
Sadie grew nervous at the stunned silence and shifted on her knee. She started rambling, "I know that it probably won't be 'official' official, but with the Reverand at camp, I figure we can make it as close to the real thing as possible—"

  
Zorah frantically began nodding and lunged toward Sadie, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Yes! Yes, I will marry you! God, yes! I love you," she shouted, giddy with an overwhelming amount of excitement.

  
The two of them rocked side to side as they hugged. Sadie's hat had flopped off her head, onto the ground, and Zorah's drink had spilled, but none of that mattered. Sadie had gotten her second chance at love. When Zorah pulled back, Sadie gently held her hand and eased the gold ring onto her ring finger. Zorah stared at the symbol of their commitment for what seemed like ages.

  
Sadie kissed her on the cheek and brought her out of her trance. "Do you like it?"

  
Zorah nodded and kissed her back. "I love it," she declared. She shook her head and chuckled.

  
"What? What's wrong?"

  
"Nothing's wrong, but you are gonna laugh. Come with me," Zorah said, getting to her feet. Sadie put her hat back on her head and collected their glasses and the bottle of bourbon. Zorah led Sadie to the tent and had her stand outside of it. Sadie set the glasses and bourbon down somewhere and then waited. Zorah returned with a devilish smirk on her face.

  
She held out her hand, fist closed, in front of Sadie where she could clearly see. Slowly, she unfurled each finger until her palm was fully exposed. In the middle sat a shining gold ring nearly identical to the one Sadie had given her. Zorah plucked it out of her palm with a laugh and asked Sadie for her hand. She laughed even harder at the flabbergasted expression on the blonde in front of her.

  
"You aren't the only one who planned to propose," Zorah chuckled. Sadie responded by tearing up and laughing. It was an odd combination of emotions. She wiped the tears from her eyes as best she could and let Zorah slide the ring onto her finger.

  
The two of them held each other close, giggling over the absurd coincidence of wanting to propose at the same time. They each admired their rings with blissful smiles plastered on their faces.

  
Zorah broke the silence first as they swayed together in front of the crackling fire. "We're gonna have one hell of a story to share when we get home."

  
Sadie let out a hearty laugh. "We sure are, aren't we?"

  
They continued holding each other in front of the fire, enjoying nature's harmony around them.

  
Zorah kissed Sadie and rested her head on her shoulder. "I love you, Sadie."

  
Sadie planted a kiss on the top of Zorah's head. "I love you, too. And I always will, Zorah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any inconsistencies or spelling errors I might've missed. Hope you enjoy the sappiness regardless. This one got a little inspiration from a viral proposal video I saw of two women who were gonna propose to each other at the same time. I just thought it was cute.


	4. Recon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie and Zorah are sent on their first assignment together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic describes some gruesome violence. Also, for clarity, this is a setting before Sadie and Zorah got together, but early on near when they would've first met. This was written while I was playing the game, long before I had gotten to the Sadie-heavy missions at the end of it. As usual, this is not connected to the other fics beyond the tone and subject matter (Sadie and Zorah's relationship). Hope you enjoy.

  
Reconnaissance

 

 

The sun was high in the sky and its rays were unyielding. Clouds promising rain were far off on the edge of the horizon, guaranteed to arrive late into the cool night when they would no longer be wanted. Birds hopped off the dirt road and into the foliage lining the road as the clopped by. The horses snuffled and sneezed in complaint at the dust they kicked up, and passerbys were few and far in between.

  
This was the first job Sadie and Zorah had been sent on together. The two of them rode in silence, mostly an uncomfortable one. Attempts at making small talk had been made, but were unsuccessful, so they had just let silence take over. Currently though, Zorah was humming a tune to herself.

  
Sadie's face began twitching in annoyance. It felt like Zorah's humming was drowning out everything else, preventing her from enjoying the ambient sounds of the world around them. Her shoulders became hunched with tension and her fists clenched over the reins of her horse. She was hungry. She needed to pee. And she needed Zorah to shut the fuck up.

  
Aggravation shot through her and she wrenched her horse off the road, into the trees.

  
Zorah stopped humming in surprise. She squinted and clicked her tongue at her horse, goading it into pursuing Sadie.

  
Zorah's horse whinnied in objection while Zorah slapped branches out of her face and grumbled. The two of them stumbled into a less dense part of the woods where Sadie's horse stood by itself, flicking its tail in irritation. Sadie was partially obscured behind a tree.

  
Zorah took note of the situation and tried to soothe her horse by patting it. She took out a pack of premium cigs, placed one between her lips and lit it with a match. Puffs of white flowed out past her brown lips while she patiently waited for Sadie.

  
Eventually, Sadie cleaned herself up, pulled up her pants and came around the tree. She shot Zorah an irritated look as she rifled through the saddlebags on her horse.

  
Zorah's face betrayed nothing as she looked at Sadie with steady, unbothered eyes. "You know," she drawled, more smoke creeping out of her lungs before she forced it out with a purposeful exhale. "If you needed to go, you coulda just said so."

  
Sadie stopped going through her bags, looked at Zorah with a pointed glare and then went back to her bags.

  
Zorah got down from her horse. She tossed her half-smoked cigarette onto the ground and crushed it beneath her boot. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her pants and rested her hands around her belt. "Alright, then. Let's have it."

  
"Let's have what?" Sadie said as she tightened the straps of her saddle.

  
"We don't get along. For some reason. You've got a problem with me. I've got a problem with you. We need to come to an understanding now instead of later when it'll get in in the way."

  
"Fine," Sadie threw up her hands. She turned to face Zorah and pointed at her. "You appear out of nowhere, acting like you know everything! Bossing everyone around. Bossing me around! Well, you don't know everything. And you sure as hell don't know me!"

  
Zorah scoffed. "Well, excuse me for coming back to find some of the people I am closest to worse off than when I left them, and wanting to do something about it!"

  
"There are ways to do that without coming off as a self-important know-it-all!"

  
"Lord above," Zorah prayed, rolling her eyes. "Look, I understand that you feel like I just appeared out of the ether. That you might think I'm occupying a space that I have no place in." Zorah stepped in close so that she was face to face with Sadie. She lowered her voice and a barely imperceptible growl wound around her words like a wild vine, "But I assure you, Mrs. Adler, that I am quite home amongst a gang of thieves and murderers. Now, I implore you: do not test me. Because while you may believe that I know nothing about you, I can assure you, that you truly do not know anything about me."

  
Sadie did not back down from Zorah, but she didn't challenge the underlying threat either. She merely watched Zorah lift herself back onto her horse and wander out of the clearing, back onto the main road in silence. She swore aloud and took a moment to compose herself before getting back on her horse and following after Zorah.

 

Sadie and Zorah hitched up their horses before walking into the town's saloon. Townsfolk frequenting the saloon eyed the two of them as they entered and went up to the bar. An older white man with a full brown beard and a beige apron tied around his waist greeted them.

  
"Welcome, ladies! Welcome! How can I help y'all tonight," he politely asked while drying a glass cup with a towel.

  
Zorah casually leaned back against the counter and took stock of the room; how many people were there, and the general feel of the place. Sadie tipped her hat at the man and answered him, "Well, first on the agenda is to get some grub. What do you got on the menu?"

  
The man smiled at her and reached under the bar counter to grab a menu. She took it with a considerate 'thank you' and perused it. It was only a single page, but she took her time. She made small talk with the man, asking him specifics about what was on the menu before ordering.

  
"Here," she said, scooting the menu over to Zorah.

  
Zorah turned away from the rest of the room and looked over the menu. Instead of hovering around until she made her decision, the barkeep walked down to the end of the bar to tend to some other customers. With the sudden moment of privacy, Zorah took the opportunity to speak to Sadie in a hushed tone. "We shouldn't linger here for too long. Don't look, but three men in the corner by the door over there have been watching us since we came in."

  
Sadie narrowed her eyes in understanding. "Yeah, and there were a couple shady looking fellers watching us when we rode into town."

  
Zorah nodded her head and motioned for the barkeep to come over and take her order. The two of them waited patiently, quietly sipping on the non-alcoholic drinks they eventually ordered. When their food arrived they all but scarfed it down, hyper-aware of the men in the corner who had not stopped watching them.

  
"You want to get a couple of rooms for the night, ladies?" The barkeep asked.

  
Sadie looked at Zorah who imperceptibly shook her head. "No, thank you. We need to get back on the road."

  
The barkeep's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "It's already quite dark out and these roads ain't safe at night. Are you sure y'all wanna do that?"

  
"Oh, it's fine. We can take care of ourselves. I promise," Sadie said with a charming smile.

  
The man shook his head and stacked their dirtied plates on top of each other. "Well, if you insist. I certainly can't force you to stay."

  
Zorah put down a couple dollars to pay for their meals and Sadie added a few cents as a tip. "Thanks for the food," Sadie said.

  
"You're welcome. Come again! And safe travels, ladies!"

  
Sadie thanked him again for his well wishes and followed Zorah, who was keenly aware of the eyes that tracked them as they walked out of the saloon.

 

"They're following us," Sadie stated as the two of them rode out of town.

  
"Yup. I count five." Zorah pulled out her revolver and checked if it was fully loaded before slamming the chamber back in place.

  
Sadie had already checked her guns, and even already had one of hers out and ready. "What's the plan?"

  
"Moon's high in the sky which means they can see us, but also that we can see them. I say we speed ahead, confuse them a little, veer off into the trees and wait to ambush them when they come in after us."

  
"It's as good a plan as any."

  
Zorah took a quick look back at the riders tailing them. "All right. You ready?"

  
Moonlight shined on Sadie's eyes lighting up her golden brown irises along with the dastardly smile planted on her face. "I'm always ready."

  
With Sadie ready to go, Zorah urged her horse forward into a gallop and the two of them sped off. Their pursuers in the distance hesitated for only a moment before racing to catch up with their would-be victims. Zorah pointed at a bend in the road, and Sadie nodded in assent. Their horses panting in exertion, they careened around the curve in the road and straight through a gap in the trees, out of sight.

  
Sadie hopped off her horse and slapped the beast, urging it to flee, after she grabbed her trusty. Zorah followed suit before grabbing her shotgun, and the two of them went deeper into the woods while their horses scattered. It was nearly pitch black under the canopy of the forest, but because of the full moon they could see where the edge of the forest met the open road well enough.

  
Five figures rode up on fatigued horses shouting in anger. "Where the hell did they go," one man shouted.

  
"I don't know," another man replied.

  
"Well, fucking find them! They couldn't have gone too far!" The first man commanded. "You fucking fools were careless!"

  
This time a different man said, "Don't worry, boss. We'll get them! They're just a couple of girls."

  
The man who had been referred to as 'boss' growled. "Do not underestimate these two! If you had taken them seriously from the start, we wouldn't currently be here. Now get in those woods and find them!"

  
A chorus of "yes, sir's" went up and then all that could be heard was the sound of twigs snapping as boots crushed then and the rustling of leaves and branches. These men were loud in the dark and still overconfident despite their boss' warning.

  
Sadie and Zorah were both hidden, crouched behind a tree and a stump, and trying to stay out of whatever moonlight had managed to make its way through the canopy. Close and to the right of them a twig snapped. Zorah looked at Sadie and held a finger to her lips, and slowly drew out her knife.

  
Bit by bit she tracked the man by the sounds he made until he was so close that she could hear his breathing. She waited a beat and then whipped around the tree, covering his mouth with one hand and slamming her blade into his heart with the other. His body went slack and she lowered it down to ground as silently as she could before moving up to take cover behind a different tree.

  
Another man came up to the stump Sadie was crouched behind. He made the mistake of looking over it, but not checking down behind it. When he turned to continue looking elsewhere, she sprung up behind him and shoved her knife into the crook of his neck. Blood spurted out from his neck and coated her hand and part of her shirt. He tried to grab at her, but his purposeful gestures quickly turned into desperate flailing as the massive blood loss began affecting him. Eventually, his body went limp as his legs dropped from underneath him and he went down to the ground.

  
As soon as Sadie was done with one man, another came crashing through the brush. Zorah intercepted him, but the ensuing struggle brought the attention of the two other men down on them. The man grappling with Zorah had her by the throat and was forcing her back and up against a tree.

  
Vision beginning to blur at the edges, she drove her knife into his gut as many times as she could. Her assailant cried out in pain, but didn't let go. Instead, his grip seemed to only tighten. A shot rang out, loud as thunder, striking another man as he ran through the trees towards all the commotion. His legs flew out under him as the impact sent him crashing onto his back. Sadie, then, didn't waste any time turning her gun on the man currently crushing Zorah's windpipe.

  
The flash as the bullet left the gun illuminated the scene, creating a morbid snapshot as brain matter and blood exploded from his head, and he tumbled away from Zorah. Zorah bent over with her hands on her knees and wheezed and coughed, trying to suck in precious air that had she had been deprived of.   
Sadie walked over and put a hand on her back, giving it a hearty thump. "Are you okay?"

  
The only answer she received was a weak hand-wave and pained cough that sounded like Zorah's lungs were trying to escape through her throat. Sadie helped Zorah stand up straight and held her elbow to help steady her. Zorah leaned back against a tree and coughed into her hand. Slowly, her windpipe started working properly again and her coughs lessened.

  
"Are you alright?" Sadie asked again. Zorah nodded her head, but bent back over and put her hands on her knees in exhaustion. "Was that all of them? I think that was all of them."

  
Zorah quickly shook her head, trying to clear it. Sadie went back to patting her on the back and for a moment the dirty, bloody denim of Sadie's pants' leg took up most of her vision. She went to straighten up and caught movement over Sadie's shoulder.

  
"Sadie—!" With a split second to react that was all she could get out before she shoved Sadie to the side and drew her gun , squeezing the trigger. Sadie tripped over her feet, her shoulder taking the brunt of the impact as she crashed into a tree. The flash of the gun was met with sparks as the first bullet connected with the weapon in the man's hand. Zorah fanned the hammer of her revolver and let out several more shots, riddling his torso with lead. His body shuddered and he went down to his knees as he gasped his last breath, and toppled backwards. His legs underneath him and his back on the ground, it invoked an unnatural scene of grotesqueness.

  
Zorah holstered her revolver. This time it was her turn to console Sadie. Sadie clutched her shoulder and rolled it tentatively, testing for further injury. She grimaced, but assured Zorah that she was fine.

  
"Thanks," Sadie said, trying to catch her breath.

  
Zorah let out a shaky laugh. "No problem. Just returning the favor."

  
Sadie shook her head, but let out a laugh too. "We should search these guys and get gone."  
"I agree. Let's go."

 

Miles away from where they had been, a shot rang out throughout the sparse thicket of trees. Lead shredded into meat with an impact that left feathers flying. Sadie lowered her rifle, went over to the turkey and picked it up by its legs. She began plucking feathers off the carcass while she walked back the way she came.

  
Back at camp, Zorah had successfully managed to get a fire going, encouraging it into a blaze. She'd collected some dry wood that she had then piled up next to the fire. Zorah alternated between stoking the fire and whittling sticks to use to roast whatever Sadie came back with. Sadie had set up her tent before she left to hunt up some dinner, but Zorah had opted to just lay her bedroll under the trees and open sky right next to the fire.

  
She got up and went over to her horse just as Sadie returned with her catch. The bird was plucked, gutted and clean. The sleeves of her white shirt were rolled up to her elbows. Her forearms were wet and still glistening from having dipped them in river to clean the turkey.

  
She slung her rifle off shoulder and propped it up next to her as she sat down on the log where Zorah had been sitting. With her knife she made notches in slices of meat after she carved them off, and she threaded them onto the sticks Zorah had prepped roasting purposes.

  
Sadie was about to put the meat over the fire to roast, but Zorah stopped her. "Hold on. I got a mix of seasonings in my bag. It goes well with most game.," she said, grabbing a bag of herbs out of her saddlebags before Sadie could reply. When she came back, she held out her hand for Sadie to give her one of the skewers. Sadie obliged and Zorah set to work rubbing seasonings into the meat and waited patiently until all of the salvageable game meat was prepped for cooking.

 

Before finding this spot next to the river to set up camp, they had ridden through the night until sun break. With the morning light, the bloody conclusion of their night could be plainly seen on their clothes. Together they agreed that they needed to find somewhere off the road and away from curious eyes where they could clean up.

  
They found a stream far off the road and cleaned up as best they could. Zorah's shirt was covered in so much gore and blood that she had to label it a lost cause and dispose of it. Sadie had managed to get most of the blood out of hers. Somehow. They cleaned themselves in the river with rags and a bar of soap Zorah had cracked in half for the two of them to share. Then they had gathered their things and gone even farther up river.

Sadie hummed with satisfaction as she bit into her kebab. Zorah's mix of herbs had proved to be a delicious addition to an already fairly plump turkey. Their day had been long and they had barely had a chance to really rest. Zorah had insisted, correctly, that they needed to get as far as possible away from the carnage they'd left in the woods outside of town.

  
So, starving and exhausted, the expertly seasoned and cooked kebab in her hand was a near perfect antidote to a hard and awful day. Zorah agreed with her when she voiced her thoughts.

  
"You know, you're pretty good with a gun," Zorah said in between bites.

  
Sadie managed to chew around the chunk of meat in her mouth and let out a mangled 'thank you.' "You're pretty good with a knife," she finally said after swallowing her food.

  
"Thanks," Zorah replied with a small smile. Dead air hung between them and they each went back to giving their food their attention until they were done.   
Zorah picked up another log and placed it on the fire. The action kicked up embers and aggravated the flames. "Thanks for getting that guy off of me back there. He seemed determined to take me down with him."

  
"Well, like you said, you returned the favored by riddling the guy who was creeping up on me with lead. So as I see it: we're even."

  
"Yeah, well, still," Zorah said, cocking her head from side to side. "Maybe you're not as bad as I thought. A bit of a loud mouth, but not bad."

  
Sadie looked at Zorah, catching the teasing smile she had on her face. A smirk made its way onto her own face. "And you ain't as much of frigid witch as I thought. You got some fire in you. But you're still definitely a bit of a hardass though."

  
Zorah let out a hearty laugh. "That's fair."

 

They cleaned up and settled in for the night, the floodgates of chit-chat opening somewhat. Amongst the light banter, Zorah offered to take first watch just in case someone followed or found them. Sadie let her take point and crawled into her tent to get a few hours of sleep before it was her turn. After an uneventful night, they tore down their camp and set off to continue on their way, eyes rested and morale up.

  
They had begun their trip in frosty rivalry, but were now continuing it with a hot coal urging their relationship into warm companionship.

 

 

The End

 

 


End file.
